


This Friendship of Ours

by loverofstories



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 05:19:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14826047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loverofstories/pseuds/loverofstories
Summary: When Peggy first meets America's most notorious playboy Howard Stark, she is less than impressed. But things change over many meetings in a canteen. The only thing that doens't change, is Peggy's opinion on Howard's mustache.





	1. Jet Lag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tapferhills](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tapferhills/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy has just arrived at Camp Leigh and is seconds away from falling asleep. Not the best of circumstances to make new acquaintances.

Peggy heaved her trunk on to her closet. Finally done. Settling in at her new quarters at Camp Leigh had taken longer than anticipated. Her roommate had occupied both cupboards, so Peggy had to first remove a jumble of clothes before she could move in her belongings. Now she wanted to do nothing more than to stretch out on her bed and fall asleep immediately. She had been traveling for what felt like days; the journey from the UK had taken a while. Not to mention, that she had come of an exhausting mission, right before being called to America. She hadn’t had time for more than a short shower, before she was in a troop transport plane shaking so hard that sleeping was impossible. But she knew jet-lag would get her if she laid down, so she decided instead to visit the canteen. Some food would do her good. She checked her lipstick in the mirror. It was barely visible, so she quickly redid it. Her khaki uniform was a bit rumpled, but there was nothing she could do about that now, so she set out to find her way to the canteen.

Camp Leigh was like any other military base she had seen since the beginning of the war. There was the hustle and bustle, with people walking purposefully and with a certain urgency. But there were also subtle differences. In Britain, wherever you went, the atmosphere thrummed with anxiety. Any moment the enemy might attack, German bombs falling on an already devastated country. The continent was even worse. At Camp Leigh, however, the war was further away, so the faces were less strained, the laughter sounded more light-hearted. Peggy was thankful for the respite, although she also felt guilty, like she had abandoned her country men and women. Best not dwell on that. Colonel Phillips had invited her to join his project for a reason; she was sure she could do as much good here, as she could on the battlefields of Europe.

A huge yawn escaped her. It felt like she hadn’t slept in years. The noise level had been rising for the last few metres. Clearly she was on the right track. As the doors at the end of the corridor swung open, she heard laughter. That must be it. She pushed the door inwards and was overwhelmed by the clamor. Maybe she didn’t need food after all. Silence seemed so much sweeter at that moment. She was about to turn around when she saw someone waving at her. It was Doctor Erskine. As he motioned for her to join him, she felt a smile tugging at her face. She really liked Erskine. The soft spoken scientist was always entertaining company.

„Hello, Agent Carter!“, he exclaimed happily in his accented English. „You are a sight for sore eyes! I was overjoyed to hear you would be joining us.“ He shook her hand vigorously. „It is good to see you too, Doctor.“ He looked her over. „Oh, but my dear! You look so tired! You must eat something and then go to bed immediately. Doctor’s orders!“ While he was chuckling at his own joke, Peggy sat down, involuntarily letting out a big sigh. „You stay here, Agent Carter, and I will get something to eat for you. It might not be up to your or my standards, or really anyone’s standards, but it will fill the belly. Just one moment.“ And before Peggy had a chance to protest, he was gone.

The line was quite long, she saw, so Erskine would be a while. Normally, she would have taken the opportunity to study her surroundings, but she couldn’t even find the energy to do that. Instead she propped up her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. She must have dozed off, because she almost hit her head on the table, when a voice exclaimed: „Well, well, what have we here?“ She looked up to find a young man in civilian clothing standing next to her table. „You must be new, I would have remembered a face like yours.“ His smirk made his stupid mustache rise somewhat crookedly. Peggy couldn’t abide mustaches. Her thoughts were slurred. Instead of letting him know exactly what she thought of him and his mustache, she just kept looking at him. „Ah, don’t worry about it, doll face. It happens quite often. But really, I’m a man just like any other. Richer, smarter and of course much more handsome, but really just a regular, red-blooded American man.“

Before she could decide, whether she had the energy to punch him in his infuriating mustache, Erskine returned to the table with a tray of food. „Mr Stark, I see you have met Agent Carter. She rescued me from Castle Kaufmann!“ At that, Mr Stark raised an eyebrow. „Really? Well, that is just intriguing. You must tell me all about that. Maybe over a glass of whiskey, I have a nice bottle in my quarters.“ „I rather think not, Mr Stark.“ Peggy had finally regained command over her thoughts. „British! Well, that’s it, Agent Carter. You are truly the woman of my dreams.“ „Being British hardly makes me extraordinary, Mr Stark. Rather like being an arrogant ladies man doesn’t make you special.“ She heard Erskine snigger at that. Peggy pulled the tray closer and began eating, studiously ignoring Mr Stark. She tried not to taste the food, but instead focus on eating as quickly as possible. Stark seemed to get the hint and left the table after wishing them a good night. „He really isn’t so bad“, Erskine said. Peggy only rolled her eyes.


	2. Cease-Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy, Erskine and Howard discuss Project Rebirth

Paperwork, so much bloody paperwork. With a flourish Peggy set her signature on the last document. Had she known fighting wars involved so much paperwork, she might have married Fred after all. Maybe she had made a mistake in accepting Colonel Phillips’ request to come to America. She felt much more comfortable infiltrating an enemy base or cracking a code, like she had done at Bletchley. Even if Michael had never liked that… Pushing aside thoughts of her brother, she began putting away her files. But she had to admit, Project Rebirth was quite fascinating. Erskine’s formula might change the course of the war for good — Erskine! She was supposed to meet him for dinner! „Shit!“ She looked at her watch. She was already late. She unceremoniously dumped her files in a drawer, turned off the light on her desk and set out at a rapid pace. Her heels were clacking on the floor and she nodded at a few familiar faces as she hastened along the corridors. Hopefully Erskine hadn’t left yet.

When she arrived at the canteen, the biggest rush was already over, so she could clearly make out Erskine’s voice, as he excitedly explained his latest flash of inspiration to his companion. „If we can only figure out, how to stabilize the compounds, we will be almost there! That is what went wrong with Johann Schmidt, you know. They interacted in a very nasty way, and then his face just melted of! Which would be bad, if it happened to our super soldiers, no? They must look like American heroes and not scary devils.“ Discretion was really not Erskine’s strong suit. She hurried towards his table. Maybe she could persuade him to lower the volume. She was somewhat dismayed to realise Erskine was talking to Stark. Well, there was nothing for it. She slid on the bench next to Erskine. „Doctor, really, perhaps you could keep your voice down? I don’t think Corporal Coleman over there needs to know all your secrets, wouldn’t you agree?“ „Of course you’re right Agent, Carter, you’re absolutely right. My excitement simply got the better of me. You know, having Mr Stark here is a boon. Finally someone who understands what I’m doing.“

„Now you’re exaggerating Erskine“, Stark interjected, „I barely understand what you’re cooking up in your lab. I’m a man of machines, of metal, of mechanics. Chemistry has never been my strong suit.“ Peggy waited for the inevitable chemistry joke, but surprisingly, it seemed, for once, women were not foremost on Stark’s mind. Instead, he began to question Erskine about the specific boiling point of a chemical Peggy had never heard of. So she quickly made her excuses and went to get her dinner.

When she returned with her tray, they were still talking science, so with a sigh, she prodded her meal with a fork. There were some rather squishy looking chips, next to a piece of chicken that was sure to be extremely dry. The cooks at Camp Leigh evidently were not very talented. She’d have to get permission to leave the base and drive into New York City someday. In a city that big, there were bound to be some interesting restaurants. „The food here does leave something to be desired. You should come into the city sometime, Carter. I could show you some really good restaurants.“ Stark must have seen her less than enthusiastic face. „Actually, I’m not planning on going to the city anytime soon. I have enough work here.“ She just couldn’t help herself. Stark was so sure of himself, so sure people would acquiesce to his requests; it raised her heckles. If Stark sensed her dislike of him, he didn’t let it bother him; instead he grinned at her. „Actually, Carter, I believe you will be making the trip into the city rather regularly. The Colonel is setting up a new secret lab, and since you are his trusted right hand woman, you will probably spend a lot of time there. As will I.“ When Peggy looked at Erskine, the doctor nodded. „Mr Stark is right. I have asked the Colonel for this lab. I believe even this little bit of distance to the military will do the project some good.“

„But Doctor, you’re making a serum to create super-soldiers, isn’t that by definition a military project?“, Peggy asked. Erskine pushed his glasses up his nose. „In a way you are correct, Agent. But then, a man is always more than a soldier. Or at least I believe he should be. The aim is not only to create a good soldier, but a good man. I have seen what the militarization of a society can lead to.“

„Does the Colonel know your thoughts on this?“, Stark asked. „He does not strike me as a man who is much interested in anything outside the military.“ Peggy had to agree with Stark. The Colonel had spent his entire life in the military, he had little patience for civilians. Even if they were as essential to the war effort as Erskine. „The Colonel and I have discussed this many times. He knows I will not test the serum on anyone I do not think to be worthy. You must understand, the serum does not only amplify the subject’s physical strengths, it also amplifies his character traits. I believe, this is what pushed Schmidt over the edge. He was not a good man to begin with. But only when he injected himself with my serum, did he truly become monstrous.“ He took a sip of his water. „I could not live with myself if I created another monster such as this. Therefore, I will only use the serum on a truly good man.“ Silence followed his emphatically stated point. „Well, I guess that means I’m out“, Stark finally said.


	3. The Sandwich

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howard tries to bribe Peggy into forgiving him. Unfortunately, he's hoping for her forgivness for the wrong thing.

Peggy was nursing a steaming cup of tea. She couldn’t quite bring herself to drink it; it never tasted quite right. But after a hard week, it was better than nothing. So she took a sip and closed her eyes, trying to imagine the right flavour. She was happy she wasn’t stuck with paper work anymore, that was worth some loss of sleep. Something landed on the table in front of her with a thud. It looked like a sandwich. „Hi Peggy—“

„Are you trying to bribe me, Howard?“

„I mean, I wouldn’t put it like that—“

„It’s not going to work. You really went too far this time!“

„But it’s a pastrami sandwich from Blumenthal’s. You love that place! Think of the meat! And the crunchy pickles!“ Damn it, the pickles sounded good. Howard knew how much she enjoyed these sandwiches, after all he had introduced her to Blumenthal’s deli, and many more enjoyable eateries. Now he was using his powers for evil. „I will take your sandwich, but I will not forgive you.“ She snatched the bread before he could react. „Hey, no fair!“ „Such is life Howard. Sometimes your bribe is stolen without payment and sometimes you walk in on your roommate and Americas most notorious playboy snogging in your room.“ Peggy was unpacking the sandwich with a little more force than was strictly necessary. „You know, it’s not like you ever have any trouble finding a willing partner for a dalliance. So why must it be my roommate?“

„You don’t even like her that much. You told me that yourself. She snores.“

„I like Lucy just fine.“

„It was the skirt, then, wasn’t it. I meant no harm Peggy, I swear. I just saw it hanging there and wondered why you never wore it. And then one thing sort of led to another. I really just wanted to try it out.“

„While that was somewhat disturbing, that’s not why I’m angry Howard.“

Howard leaned back and crossed his arms. „Well, then you have to explain it to me, cause I really don’t get it.“ Instead of answering, Peggy bit down into her sandwich. The pickles gave a satisfying crunch. Howard was still waiting for an answer. Damn him and his stubbornness. „It’s about my reputation“, she finally said, between two bites. „I’m not sure what your reputation has to do with the whole thing.“ Howard seemed genuinely confused. That was not surprising. The two of them were playing by different sets of rules. Sighing she explained: „There are already rumours about me, claiming that I have achieved my position by, shall we say, less than moral means.“ At his skeptical gaze, she added: „There are rumors about me and the Colonel, about me and Erskine and about me and you. You being seen coming into my room — even if it isn’t to meet up with me — isn’t likely to assuage these rumours.“

„Oh.“

„Yes, oh. And all this gossip about my alleged relationships is really undercutting my authority. The men aren’t taking me seriously.“ While Howard let that sink in for a moment, Peggy continued eating her sandwich. Hopefully she was required to go into the city soon. Blumenthal’s food was divine.

„I heard you asserted your authority rather forcefully, this morning with the new recruits.“ Peggy had known, that her punching Private Hodge had made quite some waves. But apparently the news had travelled really fast, since Howard hadn’t been even been on base today. „Who—“ she began. „Erskine told me. He was quite amused.“

„Private Hodge deserved it.“

„I didn’t know you were an adherent of corporal punishment, Peggy.“

„He made some disrespectful comments about me, my country and my monarch. Well, a previous monarch, but that’s not the point. He definitely had it coming.“ Howard had to laugh at that. „How close did I come to getting punched in the face, the first time we met?“

„Very close. Especially because of your mustache.“

„What’s wrong with my mustache?“ Now it was Peggy’s turn to laugh at Howard’s outrage.„Surely you must know.“

„I’m sure I don’t know.“

„It’s just so… infuriating! It looks like someone drew on your face, while you were asleep and you haven’t realised it yet.“

„That’s not what Lucy said. She commented on it favorably, during our little tête-à-tête. Maybe you should try it sometime. You might grow to like it.“

„I’d rather surrender to the Germans.“

„I believe they have quite the penchant for facial hair, actually.“

„You always have an answer for everything, don’t you.“

„I wish. I’m not sure I can find an answer for our latest problem. The circuits still keep threatening to blow on the machine, I built for the application of Erskine’s serum. The poor sucker who gets in to the sarcophagus might get fried all the way through.“

„Maybe don’t call it a sarcophagus. It might be off-putting to the volunteers. And I’m sure you’ll figure it out, Howard, you always do. But it won’t matter anyway, if we cannot find the right candidate. Erskine and the Colonel still have very different wishes, and as of right now, I am less than impressed with our options.“

„I guess we all have our struggles, don’t we?“ They sat in companionable silence for a while. „Can I have some of our sandwich?“

„No.“

„Just one bite.“

„The answer is still no.“

„A pickle.“

„Definitively not.“

„You’re a cruel woman Peggy. But luckily I won’t starve. I just had a very serviceable fondue, at Le Chalet. The owner is Swiss, and it’s almost as good as the real deal.“

„The real deal is rather nice.“

„Maybe when the war is over, we can go to Switzerland and try some.“

„When the war is over, maybe.“ They sat in silence, while Peggy finished of her sandwich.


	4. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy sneaks across the base in the middle of the night to meet a man. (It's Howard.)

Peggy strode across the training field. She should have brought a torch, she thought. She could hardly see anything in the dark. Although, the light of the torch would have made her very conspicuous. Not that she was doing anything wrong, but she was definitively sneaking, which always went better while being inconspicuous. So of course, she had run into the Colonel on her way out. Thankfully he was always so focused on his work, so instead of questioning where she was going at this hour of the night, he asked her about Steve Rogers. He was clearly still not entirely confident in Erskine’s choice. She had managed to extract herself after a few minutes, hopefully without betraying her own anxiety about tomorrow.

Suddenly she felt her heel sinking into a soft part of the grass, and before she could slow down, she fell forwards. She managed to get her hands in front of herself just in time, so she fell on her knees rather than on her face. Cursing under her breath, she patted down her pants. This was a stupid idea. What was she doing, sneaking around like some love-sick girl? Tomorrow was a big day and she needed her wits. But then, she was unlikely to get any sleep anyway. She couldn’t get her thoughts to slow down. She reached the pathway and increased her speed. Not much further now. She looked out for the gap in the shrubbery along the path. Had she missed it already? No, there it was. Twisting her body sideways, she stepped through the gap, the branches scraping at her uniform. Something got stuck in her hair. Finally, she moved up a hill, through a small copse of birches.

Suddenly, she was blinded by a bright light. „You know, for a super spy, you sure are noisy.“ Howard’s disembodied voice floated through the air. „And why didn’t you bring a flashlight?“

„I was trying to be inconspicuous“, she answered a bit snippily, while pulling some leaves out of her hair and ignoring Howard’s smirk. Instead she looked around. They were standing on a small hill with a view across some more training fields. The woods in their back shielded them from the housing to the south. „Wait a minute, Howard! Why didn’t you just tell me to come from the other side? Why this unnecessarily complicated route?“ Howard shrugged. „It’s more fun like this.“ He wasn’t in the least bit fazed by her eye rolling, and instead held up a bottle of whiskey. „Let’s get to it.“ He filled two glasses, while Peggy let herself sink to the ground.„There you go.“ „Thanks.“ Howard sat next to Peggy and they clinked glasses. „To tomorrow.“ „To tomorrow.“ The whiskey was of excellent quality, but she would not have expected anything less from Howard Stark.

Looking out across the field, she was surprised the base could be so quiet and almost peaceful. Like tomorrow wasn’t a day that could turn the tide of the war, and perhaps change the world forever. „Do you think it will work?“ Howard swung the whiskey around in his glass before answering slowly: „I think so. Erskine seems really confident. And the technical aspect is under control. So yes, yes, it should.“

„I wonder what Rogers is going to be like afterwards. Erskine said the serum would accentuate his character traits. So will he be even kinder and more self-sacrificing? You know he jumped on a grenade?“ She turned to Howard, gesturing with her glass. „Without hesitation, he just jumped. Not many men would have done that. In fact, no one else did.“ „Peggy, I can’t even begin to imagine what he is going to be like. He will be something none of us have ever seen before. Not just a super soldier, but a super man. It’s enough to give a man an inferiority complex.“

Peggy patted him on the shoulder. „You’re a good man too, Howie. I just wonder where we will find other men like Steve. To give someone this kind of power… We have to be able to trust them absolutely. If we choose the wrong person, we could have another Schmidt on our hands.“ The thought made them pause. „I just hope he can cope with the responsibility“, Peggy finally continued. „The weight of an entire nation’s hopes on his shoulder must be crushing.“ „Yeah, but from what you’ve told me, he’s wanted this type of responsibility all his life. He wants to help. And now, he’ll be able to.“

Peggy had really hoped talking to Howard would assuage her fears but she was still anxious. She was always willing to run headlong into a dangerous and unknown situation but this was different. There was nothing she could do to influence the outcome of this situation. All she could do was stand there, while a kind and decent man was turned into a guinea pig. She grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass.

„You know, sometimes I bring ladies here for a little tumble in the grass.“ Howard was moving his eyebrows suggestively. It was a rather transparent move to change the topic, but she was grateful nonetheless. „Howard, you know as long as that rat tail you call a mustache exists, it can never be.“ „Peggy, Peggy, always so cruel. I hate to say it, but if the decision is between my dashing mustache and you, the mustache wins, my dear. But I take your willingness to come to a clandestine meeting with me, in spite of the danger to your reputation, as one step closer to victory.“

„It has more to do with realising the futility of my efforts. There will be rumours no matter what I do. Even Rogers has moved into the ranks of my supposed lovers. So I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind. If I want to have a clandestine meeting with a notorious playboy, I will have a clandestine meeting with the notorious playboy, who happens to be my friend.“ A smile spread across Howard’s face. He raised his glass: „To this friendship of ours.“


End file.
